Amelia s Job
by Kitty Petro
Summary: Reposted. Amelia is bored and Jim helps her to find a part time job
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 

One Sunday morning at the Benbow Inn, Jim was home after the end of term at the Interstellar Academy. He looked up as the front door to the Inn opened.

"Ah, good morning, James," Captain Amelia called as she made her way inside. "Do you think I could bother you for a spot of tea?"

"Sure! No problem, Captain," Jim told her, and got to his feet and headed for the kitchen.

While Jim got her tea, Amelia sat herself down at one of the tables.

Jim returned a minute later, a steaming cup of tea in hand. "Here you are, ma'am," Jim said kindly, actually glad for a visitor.

She smiled and took her first sip. "Ah, nothing like a spot of tea in the morning, I always say…"

"So, Captain, what's been happening while I've been away?" Jim asked, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Actually, not all that much, I'm afraid," Amelia informed him, and sighed.

Jim looked over at Amelia. "Come now, ma'am… don´t tell me you came all the way here just because you're bored." He stated, quirking an eyebrow in surprise.

"Well, yes, I'm rather afraid I have, Jim," she stated, not meeting his gaze. She then looked up and met his disbelieving gaze. "And before you start, I'll have you realize that I have never told a lie since I've been able talk," Amelia pointed out.

Jim smiled, and looked at the feline Captain. "Well, you could always do what I do, you know. Get a part time job," he suggested.

"Wonderful," Amelia replied, just a bit tartly. "At what, might I ask?" Amelia paused for effect, then continued.  
"I am a Captain, Mr. Hawkins, you do realize. And, unfortunately for me, Montressor is not exactly the kind of place that needs my expertise just about now."

Jim knew she had a point, and stopped to think. As he sipped his coffee, he got a great idea! "I know just the job for you, Captain," he declared with a grin.

"Oh, really? And that would be… what, exactly?" Amelia replied, looking at Jim warily.

"Our unarmed combat instructor has just gone on paternity leave; he and his wife had twins. But, that doesn't matter. I was thinking… maybe you could fill in for him while he's away. The position sounds like something you might be interested in, doesn't it?"

Amelia thought it over, while she finished her tea. But Jim knew his friend, the Captain, all too well.

He got up to fetch a communicator, when Amelia asked, "James, could you bring me the…" Amelia didn't get the chance to finish her sentence, as Jim handed her the transmitter. The device had a holographic picture capability, so that you could see to whom you were talking to. Amelia punched in the appropriate coordinates, and pressed transmit.

Before too long, a middle-aged human fellow appeared on the communicator's screen. "Ah, good morning," Captain Amelia then said.

"Well, well, if it isn't my favorite student," the human man proclaimed, beaming. "So, Amelia dear, just how may I be of service this day?"

"Well, Professor Roxby, let's just say a little bird told me that may be in need of an unarmed combat instructor," Amelia said with just a ghost of smile. "Any truth to this situation?"

"Why am I not surprised that you might know all about that, Captain," Roxby replied, shaking his head in amusement.

"Well, sir, I pray that you do remember that I was quite an accomplished instructor in that particular subject," she offered by way of a subtle reminder.

"I dare say I do at that," Professor Roxby answered. "You seemed to clear the floor with my cadets with rather enviable ease, if I recall correctly."

"You do, sir. You do, indeed," Amelia assured him proudly.

"Very well then. If you are of a mind to, I would gladly welcome you to cover Commander Ogden's class for the semester," Roxby offered.

"Thank you, Nathan," Amelia quickly agreed. "I accept."

"Wonderful news! I will see you here at the Academy bright and early on Monday then, Amelia," Roxby said, grinning happily. He was silent a moment, then cleared his throat. He began again, "Oh, and while we're at it, would you be so good as to tell young Mr. Hawkins that I would appreciate short amount of his time…"

Amelia noticed Jim edging away from her, and she said loudly to him, "Oh, Jim, would you be so kind as to come here for a moment, please?" Amelia asked. "It appears that Professor Roxby would like a word with you."

Jim gulped, and his face paled a bit as he took up the seat Amelia had just vacated. "I'll leave you two alone, shall I?" she said, a devilish gleam lighting her green eyes.

As Amelia made her way to the door, she heard the headmaster yelling at Jim. It appeared that Jim had gone inside the girl's dormitory and woke the girls up by leading them to believe that there was a fire. Roxby calmed himself, and told Jim he would speak to him---in his office---on Tuesday after he returned. The still scowling Roxby then muttered something, and broke the connection.

"Man, Roxby will never let me forget about this," Jim complained, shaking his head.

"Oh, don't feel so bad, Mr. Hawkins," Amelia told the white-faced Jim. "It's not as if you're the first one to of pulled off such a prank before, you know."

Jim looked at her quizzically a moment, then he grinned. "You mean to tell me that you were the Midnight Prankster, Captain?" Jim asked, clearly surprised.

"I will will deny any such claim most vehemently, Mr. Hawkins," Amelia replied haughtily. She paused to give Jim a look, just before she broke down and chuckled.

"I don't know why Nathan makes such a to do about the whole thing really," Amelia confessed. "I mean, all I did was infiltrate the boy's dormitory, painted everything in sight pink, and then set off the fire alarm to cover my escape. What's all the excitement about, I ask you?" Amelia asked, quite innocently.

"Whoa!" Jim said, clearly amazed and his estimation of the Captain's prowess ratcheting up a few notches.

"Not a word of this, Mr. Hawkins. Do you hear me?" Amelia said, suddenly very serious. "I will see you tomorrow, James," Amelia added, going out the door with a confident gait.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

The next day found Jim and Captain Amelia arriving at the gates of the Interstellar Academy. Amelia made her way to Headmaster Roxby's office, telling Jim she would catch up with him later in the day.

As Jim made his way from his dormitory, he met up with his friend, Marie. Marie was a pretty, foxlike girl, who sported long fur and a bushy tail on an otherwise humanoid female body. "Hey, Jim! Glad to see you back. Hey, I'm headed to the gymnasium. We've got our first unarmed combat class," Marie asked, smiling at him.

"Okay, let's go," Jim answered, smiling handsomely at the attractive girl, taking her smaller hand in his own. They made their way down at the gymnasium, where they as well as the other students lounged about, waiting for class to begin.

"Attention!" a cadet lookout yelled. They all scrambled to form into lines as Amelia made her way inside the exercise room. Jim noticed straightaway that she proudly wore her old uniform, spotless as always.

"Good morning, class," she told them, her hands clasped behind her back, as she began to stride back and forth before her students. She explained that she was their new unarmed combat instructor, and then what she expected of them all. Finally, she added in her most commanding voice, "So, gentlemen and ladies, while I am running this class, you shall address me as Captain, or ma'am." She looked from one end of the line of her teenage students. "Am I CLEAR?" she yelled the last word.

Every cadet came to attention, saluted, and proclaimed, "Yes, ma'am!" in unison.

Jim laughed silently to himself. This was just like the first day she meet the Captain. Classic Amelia, he thought.

Amelia's sharp green eyes looked into each cadets' eyes as she talked to them all. Amelia frowned minutely as she noticed a crocodile-like fellow who happened to be talking with his friend beside him while she was instructing. She continued her lesson, while angling her acute ears, focusing on just what the crocodile cadet was saying.

"She's supposed to be our teacher? Come on, please, what a joke! Just what kind of combat experience can she have anyway? Combat embroidery?" The two boys chuckled softly at the joke.

Amelia suddenly stopped her teaching, and strode toward the two malcontents, her heels clicking ominously on the wood of the floor. "Attention! Your name and rank, Cadet," she asked, her green eyes narrowing menacingly.

"Alan Longtooth, Cadet-in-training, ma'am," he proclaimed quickly, stiffening to attention.

"Ah, Cadet Longtooth," Amelia said bracingly, a small smile appearing on her lips. Jim shuddered to see that smile, but Longtooth thought differently. "Might I inquire as to your career aspirations?"

"I'm going to Captain of my own ship one day, ma'am," Alan told her, just a bit smugly. He was used to getting his own way at the Academy… what with his being bigger and meaner than most the other cadets. That… and the fact that the infamous Captain Longtooth was his father, of course.

"Captain, eh?" Amelia said, running a practised eye over Mr. Longtooth. "Commendable ambition, Cadet. However…" She let her observation dangle.

"Yes, ma'am?" Alan said, suddenly interested.

"Cadet, if you ever want to make command, then I _strongly_ recommend you listen to my instructions, instead of insulting me under your breath," Amelia said matter– of–factly, followed by a steely glare, that made Alan pale to a chartreuse green.

"Beg pardon, ma'am," Alan stammered, distraught that she had actually heard him. _How could that be_? He wondered.

"Of course, my boy. Your punishment, Cadet, will be not for just your sake, you see, but also for the good of the class. Kindly step out on to the mats, Mr. Longtooth, if you please," Amelia answered firmly, and then pointed to the cushioned floor.

Alan reluctantly walked out onto the exercise mats, while thinking, _this won't be so bad. I can take her…easy_. Alan flexed his prodigious muscles, showing off as was his wont.

Amelia removed her uniform jacket, and made her way before the posturing Alan.

"Now, class," Amelia began, blatantly ignoring the posturing cadet. "Kindly observe while Cadet Longtooth attacks me. If you would be so kind, Cadet…"

Alan smiled a toothy smile, and attacked the slender feline Captain by trying to overwhelm Amelia with his bulk.

Alan was most surprised to find his outstretched arms closed on nothing. Amelia nimbly jumped aside, allowing him to rush past. As he went by, she clamped her strong hands on his tail and said, "Sorry, old boy. I'm afraid you're going to have to be a bit quicker than that."

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" Alan yelled, trying to turn on her, but not being able to.

"Oh, I don't know, Cadet," Amelia answered quietly, with that same small smile. "Something like this, I suppose…" She put Alan's tail over her shoulder and expertly threw him over her hip to crash heavily to the mats. "Care to try again, Cadet?"

Alan growled, clearly angry at being bested by this slight, mocking woman. Then Alan tried some sort of martial arts move, but the results were more of the same… Alan flat on his back, wondering just what was happening to him.

"Come, come, Mr. Longtooth," Amelia coaxed, her voice sweet. "I'm surprised that a big, strong fellow like you can't seem to get the better of a slight woman such as myself…"

And, predictably, Alan rushed her again.

And, predictably, Alan ended up on his back once more. He tried time and time again: different moves, different strategies, same result. Alan was getting tired of looking at the gym's ceiling.

"Another go-round, Mr. Longtooth?" Amelia asked, looking fresh as a proverbial daisy to Alan's disheveled, sweating state.

"No, ma'am," Alan replied, not even trying to get back up to continue. He knew he was beat.

"Thank you for your admirable assistance, Cadet," Amelia told him and the class as she helped him back to his feet. "Class, kindly give your Cadet here a round of applause." The class did as they were bade to, though not very enthusiatically.

As Alan walked wearily by her, Amelia quietly advised him, "Oh, Cadet, a word of advice. Next time, do try to not provoke me."

Then she moved back and retrieved her coat from the cadet that was holding it for her. As she pulled it on, she looked at her class of cadets. "I fear this class will have its work cut out for it, especially if this demonstration was a representative sample of your abilities."

There was an uncomfortable silence among the cadets. Amelia continued, "Tomorrow is going to be a a rather trying day for you all, so I advise you get your sleep." Amelia looked back at her stunned cadets. "Trust me, you're going to need it. Very well then, off you go. Dismissed."

Marie and Jim were still standing in the gym, long after their fellow cadets had beat a hasty retreat.

"Yes, Mr. Hawkins, what is it?" Amelia asked, as she made her way before him and the fox-like cadet standing beside him.

"Yes, ma'am. Just wanted you to know that Cadet Longtooth, Alan, deserved exactly what you gave him," Jim said earnestly.

Amelia raised a graceful eyebrow, surprised. "Oh, really?"

Marie nodded, looking over at Jim before saying, "Captain, Alan is a bully. He's big, he's arrogant, and used to doing anything he wants to. If he's not saying something sarcastic and demeaning about our instructors, he's saying something sarcastic and demeaning things about us."

Amelia smiled, nodding her head. "Well, then. Let us hope that Mr. Longtooth has learned a valuable lesson this day." She walked the two cadets to the door, adding "All right then, off you go. To your next class. Remember, get your rest, you two, because tomorrow is going to be a day you long remember," she said.

Both teenage cadets saluted her, saying, "Yes ma'am!" before turning smartly about and heading to their next class.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

Amelia couldn't quite put her finger on what was different this day, but something was nonetheless. No one had interrupted her class, and---most surprisingly---the cadets seemed to stop and gaze at her whenever she came walking down the corridor, the soft click of her heels preceding her. Now, what was all that about, she wondered to herself.

As for Alan Longtooth, well, he had certainly learned his lesson, and had began to grudgingly accept the Captain just might be worth listening to. He and his fellow cadets were all inside the combat classroom, standing about talking, waiting for class to begin.

Then the door swung opened and inside came Captain Amelia. "Ah, good morning, cadets," she said.

"Good morning, Captain," rang their replies. Amelia simply nodded her head politely, and moved to the front of the classroom, watching her cadets form a line.

"I have gone through Professor Ogden's syllabus, and I must confess I'm somewhat impressed. You've gone through the various unarmed combat forms: kung fu, karate, ju-jitsui and tae-kwon-doh."

Amelia, hands clasped behind her back, walked purposefully before her students, who were hanging on her every word. "Well, now, that's all well and good, of course. However, it's highly unlikely that your average opponent will attack you with nothing but his hands and feet now, wouldn't you think?"

There were several mumured titters among the cadet's ranks. Amelia smiled and nodded.

"So, that being said, today you will begin your training in fencing," Amelia announced to them. There was a buzz of excitement in the cadets, which Amelia chose to ignore. She moved over to the equipment cabinets, unlocked it with a key, and swung the doors open. Inside the cabinet were racks of long, slender swords with basket hilts. "All right then. One at a time, you will move to the cabinet and select yourself a weapon. Come on now, move along. There you go…"

After all of her cadets were suitably armed with practise swords, Amelia moved behind her desk and slid a long box out of her bag. She opened it and withdrew a gleaming silver sword with a simple gilded basket hilt. She swished the slender blade in the air in an intricate dance until it hummed. "Yes, well… this will do quite nicely."

"Very nice. Now, kindly form into pairs, if you please," Amelia instructed them. They did what she bade them to do, forming two distinct lines now.

"Mr. Hawkins?" Amelia called out, quite to Jim's surprise. "Would you kindly come here."

"Yes, ma'am?" Jim asked once he stood before the confident, graceful Captain.

"You shall be my partner this go-round, so that I may show your classmates the drill," Amelia told him as well as the class. She brought her sword up to before her face in a salute to Jim, then assumed a combat stance. "Are you ready to begin, Mr. Hawkins?"

Jim emulated her stance, grinning. "At your service, ma'am!" he told her.

Amelia stepped forward and brought her blade about to tap Jim's before she extended her arm, thrusting her sword toward his chest. Jim angled his blade and leaned back, avoiding the red-capped tip of Amelia's sword. He then stepped back and then lunged forward to re-engage Amelia. The feline woman grinned savagely, and parried.

"You see, class," Amelia said, not even breathing heavy yet. "The trick is to keep your grip loose but firm. Loose enough to be flexible, but firm enough to not allow your opponent to knock it from your grasp." Her and Jim's swords clashed and clanged metallically, as they lunged and parried, each seeking the advantage.

Jim then tried something unexpected, spiraling his blade over and then around Amelia's, pushing her attack away, forcing her to extend more than she had wished to. Amelia recovered quickly and forced Jim back with determined attacks.

"The object, of course, is to defeat your opponent as quickly as possible," Amelia lectured, her sword flashing as she attacked.

Jim used his neat spiralling trick again, and succesfully managed to disarm a surprised Amelia. Jim grinned, saying, "And the best way to do that, is to be the only one with a sword." Jim held the red tip of his sword against Amelia's chest a moment, then stood back. "Wouldn't you say, Captain?"

"Quite. Nicely done, Mr. Hawkins," Amelia congratulated him. "But, I wouldn't look quite so smug were I you…"

Amelia lunged forward into a roll, and when she regained her feet behind Jim, she once again had her sword in hand. "Touche, Mr. Hawkins," she challenged.

"Oh, boy, " Jim groaned, and soon worked up quite a sweat as Amelia managed to chase him about the classroom, disarming him several times running.

"All right now," Amelia said as they all rested a bit. "Mr. Hawkins, Ms. Reynard, and I will now work with the rest of you lot, and if we're lucky, you'll not embarrass me to badly by the end of the lesson…"

Jim nodded and went with Marie to begin trying to help their classmates. Amelia watched her cadets, providing them assistance as she watched.

"Tighten your grip there, Mr. Gul," she warned a tiger-like cadet.

"Do try to keep your guard up, Ms. Macsy," she commented to a human girl who grimaced after her partner managaed to touch her in the side. It continued like this throughout the entire lesson. When the bell finally rang, Amelia instructed her cadets to lay their swords down so she could place them back in their racks herself, but many of the cadets insisted on replacing their swords themselves.

Soon, everyone had gone except Jim, and Amelia looked over at him. "James? May I ask a question of you?"

"Sure, Captain. Shoot!" Jim asked as he helped replace the few remaining swords away.

"Would you care to explain to me why everyone seems to act so strangely around me?" she asked, curious. "For example, I will hear voices in the hallway… but as I arrive, suddenly there's silence. Deucedly unnatural, that."

"And, that's not mentioning the fact that I seem to be besieged by a bevy of almost painfully helpful cadets. I tell you it's just not natural," Amelia complained, at a loss to this odd behavior.

"Depends, Captain. Do you want me to be honest, or protect your feelings?" Jim asked.

"What sort of question is that, Mr. Hawkins?" Amelia asked, irritated. "Of course, I want you to be honest with me."

"Well, Captain… the reason everyone clams up when you're around is most likely they are talking about _you_," Jim told her, just as delicately as he could manage.

"I beg your pardon," Amelia replied, stunned.

"And, the reason why everyone's ever-so-helpful to you is because they don´t want to wear you out," Jim added, a small grin appearing on his handsome face.

"The devil you say," Amelia muttered, her green eyes wide with shock.

"Look, ma'am, all I'm trying to say is that you have become every cadet's favorite teacher," Jim said. He held his hands out wide, and shrugged. "What can I say?"

"_Me?_ A favorite?" Amelia repeated, unable to help herself. "Why… that's absolutely preposterous, Mr. Hawkins…"

"Whatever you say, ma'am," Jim told her, still grinning. "But I'm only telling you what you know is the truth."

Then he slid his sword back into the rack in the weapons locke, and left, leaving a completely amazed and most flattered Amelia in his wake…


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

The semester seemed to fly by for the combat training class and their instructor. Before anyone would of guessed it, the last day of the semester drew near… Amelia´s last day as a teacher.

"Attention!" called a cadet, and the class snapped up straight and waited for Amelia. She moved into the classroom where everything suddenly became deafeningly quiet.

"At ease, all. Well, I've got two last things to say to you all," Amelia declared. "The first thing being that this is my last day as your instructor."

She waited, so that the inevitable hubbub that revelation caused could run its course. Once the murmurings quieted, she continued on, a bit more subdued. "Now, then… the second thing I have to say is this: Stand to, you lot! Let me see what's I've made of you all."

"All right then. Ms. Luden. Ju-jitsu, Lunge of the Tiger," she said. The girl complied expertly with her command, and Amelia worked hard to hide her proud smile. The feline Captain then ran each her cadets through their skills and moves. The last cadet to be tested was Alan Longtooth, who had grown considerably from his bullying days. He bowed politely before Amelia, and began his attack sequence against Amelia. He was vastly improved, but yet again Amelia managed to lay him out on the floor. She helped him back to his own two feet, and as he stood up, he whispered quietly into Amelia´s ear, "We're all going to miss you, Captain."

Alan didn't linger, and hurried over to where his fellow clasmates stood. The assembled class then all saluted sharply to their proud Captain, who had done so much for them in the past three months.

"Three cheers for Captain Amelia!" cried Jim Hawkins, flinging his cadet cap into the air.

"Hip hip, hooray!" cried Alan Longtooth proudly.

"Hip hip, hooray!" yelled Marie Reynard, Jim's pretty friend, her eyes shining with her admiration for the Captain.

"Hip hip, hooray!" they all called out at last, dissolving into cheers and laughter.

"All right, you lot! Dismissed!" Amelia called, shooing them out of her classroom. She collected her files, and her bag, and then looked fondly out of the door, her heart swelling with pride in _her_ cadets…

End


End file.
